Weird question I know. But I was pondering this on my drive into work today.

I have a few things I consider my "likes". Theme parks, the Olympics, commercial aviation and cars. Why do I like them? Was it something from my childhood?

My dad liked sports, but not the Olympics in particular, so I'm not sure where that love of mine came from.

He was an aeronautical engineer and I KNOW that his love of planes is where I got my love of them.

I have no idea where my love of cars and theme parks came from. Neither of my parents liked either of them and from what I can recall no other important adult in my life did either. So I guess I shaped those loves on my own.

It just made me wonder, why we like what we like. What influences, if any, shaped our likes.

05-09-2007, 07:48 AM

lafantasma

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

Well, I know my parents gave me my love of oldies music and reading (thanks Dad). But scrapbooking, singing, writing, and organizing are all me. Interesting topic!

05-09-2007, 07:55 AM

Disneyland Daddy

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

Well, I think our parents shape a lot of what we like and dislike as adults. Grandparents have influence too. I think I get my extreme love for Big Band music from my MOm's folks - they were swing dancers from the 40's - met at a Dance.

My Dad loved Baseball - and I too love baseball. Mom loves to talk, and I do too.

I think it's a very interesting question. So, to answer you without going on an on ad nauseum, yes, I think our parents or another adult shape our thinking - do a degree.

05-09-2007, 07:56 AM

stinkerbell

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I think I got my interest in music from my dad. And my love of Disneyland and old live-action Disney movies. When I watch them, I'm reminded of my dad who made us watch them when I was little, instead of something contemporary.

Also, I think I'm a liberal because my dad was a conservative.

I read a lot, thanks to my mom. She was always reading.

And I try to have hobbies, friends, dates with my husband, nights out with the girls, pursue my interests, do a lot of volunteer work and get involved in my kids' schools...because she did none of those things and I remember thinking she wasn't very well-rounded. She isn't very memorable to me. My sister and I both had that revelation in the past few years. It's a little sad!

05-09-2007, 07:59 AM

frecky

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I definately got my love of old movies and reading from my dad. My love of cheesy horror flicks from my mom.

05-09-2007, 08:04 AM

Mouse princess

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I think we do - wether the influence is negative or positive.

I got my love from theme parks from my dad. We always went to different parks- we all love roller coasters

I always enjoyed gardening, and my mom can spend all day gardening. I kill the plants though, she doesn't.

Ever since I can remember, we were always on the go. I still need to do something every weekend. Definetly inherited that from the family.

05-09-2007, 08:10 AM

LuvsLilo

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I inherited my dad's musical gene. We learn to play musical instruments quickly. I also got my love for reading and WWII history from him.

My mom and I are opposites. I think our love for Target is the only thing we have in common.

05-09-2007, 08:11 AM

Spidergrrrl

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

Hmm - to a degree, yes, I got certain likes from my parents. From my mom, I got my love of cooking and baking. Watching her in the kitchen when I was a child - I wanted to do what she was doing. From my dad, my warped sense of humor and my obsessive need to number crunch.

But then there are the things that make no sense, like my love of the outdoors - especially the water. My dad grew up on a farm and is deathly afraid of open bodies of water. My mom is a city girl who can't live without plumbing and electricity. And here I am, the girl who can't wait to go camping, body boarding or skiing.

05-09-2007, 10:02 AM

JafarFarAway...

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I was raised by a single mom and the only thing I see in me that I got from her is the love of vacations! She takes one every year and I now do the same. I have a lot of coworkers and friends who rarely take trips anywhere and they seem so miserable. It feels so good to take off and leave your homelife behind whether it's a week or weekend, you gotta do it!

She didn't plays sports or instruments, didn't take me camping or feed me asparagus! So I'll have to pass these things on my little one...

05-09-2007, 10:05 AM

dsnylndmom

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I got my love for Disneyland for my mom. She made sure we went every summer, even when she was divorced (each time :botox: ) and a single parent at the time.

My love for reading, from both my parents, they both love to read.

On the negative side, I despise white wine, because of my mom.

05-09-2007, 10:15 AM

mikeland

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

My dad loves to travel, so I guess that's where I got that from, but who doesn't like to travel?

05-09-2007, 10:22 AM

Disguy

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I know I got the spending money/shopping thing from my Sister and mom. Disneyland I got from my dad. We went every single year plus we would go on dad/son trips to Disneyland sometimes twice a year without anyone else and that was the greatest thing ever. I think thatís what made me fall in love with Disneyland. As far as anything else I'm pretty much the odd one in the family.

05-09-2007, 10:27 AM

Xharryb

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

I think we takes bits and peices from a lot of sources, and then throw in plenty of our own as well. I know my love of art comes from wanting to be like my dad. He wasn't even around that much, but I wanted that connection to him. My love of music and singing came from both of my parents. My love of cooking came from my grandparents. I also think my love of traveling, even though I don't get to do it as much as I would like, stems from the many memorable family trips we took.

05-09-2007, 12:23 PM

SummerInFL

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

Pros:

Water, that's all I drink. My dad taught me that, he used to drink water all the time. Love it!

Genes, other than being overweight, my family has a great gene pool. We almost never get sick, when others have a cold, I seem to be the only person at work. LOL

Freakish Upper Body Strength, I have been told by a trainer that my arms lift about 100lbs more than the average woman. Man arms anyone? :lol:

IQ's (Not to brag. :/) I think the lowest IQ in our family is around 142, I'll have to double check that though. Not telling mine. :P

Cons:

Fatty Foods, I struggle with my weight, my body craves nothing but bad food all the time. It's what my parents fed me as a child and its carried over, personally I would love to think a Big Mac from McDonald's is disgusting, unfortunately my body slaps me silly and craves it.

Re: Did your parents (or another adult) shape what you like as an adult?

My music tastes were somewhat shaped by my parents. My dad loves outlaw country and rock music, which shaped what I like. My mom likes a lot of oldies that shaped my tastes to a point, though her taste in country I can't stand. My grandparents had me and my cousin listening to The Tokens and The Beatles since as long as I can remember and both are two of my favorite groups to this day.

My stubbornness and resistance to change comes from my dad, as well as most of my shyness. My emotional reactions to things comes from my mom.

My mom pretty much turned me into a potty mouth ;)

Because of my mom's Catholicism I explored atheism and agnosticism before settling on my current beliefs.

My appreciation of cars comes from my dad and grandfather, though I'm nowhere near the level of love them as I am.

I'm not really sure where the collecting gene came from. Both my parents have big collections of things, don't know who was first. Same with my opinion that "toys aren't just for kids", as both my parents collect some sort of toy (my dad collects diecast cars, my mom collects Barbies). I went to the toy store a lot more then your average kid, most times because my dad wanted to go, not me!